Brazilian couple planted more than 2 million trees to restore forest, now houses more than 500 endangered spesies

Renowned Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado cherished the forest in his place so much. He was completely horrified when he saw the land he knew since childhood completely destroyed when he returned home to Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1994.

With only 0.5 percent of the land covered in trees, the tropical paradise he once knew has turned into a dusty, barren land. Thanks to rampant deforestation, the forest is no longer there after just a few years.

“The land was as sick as I was—everything was destroyed. Only about 0.5 percent of the land was covered in trees,” told Salgado.

“Then my wife had a fabulous idea to replant this forest. And when we began to do that, then all the insects and birds and fish returned and, thanks to this increase of the trees I, too, was reborn—this was the most important moment.”

Later, Salgado and his family set up Instituto Terra and planted more than two million trees.

The project transforms the environment and gives homes to more than 500 endangered species.